The present invention relates generally to devices used to balance motor vehicle wheel and tire assemblies and more particularly to an electronic wheel balancer capable of concurrently servicing multiple operators.
Because wheel balancers are more expensive to own and operate than are tire changers, most tire shops have two or more tire changers for each wheel balancer. Also, a wheel and tire assembly can be balanced faster than it can be deflated and remounted. Consequently, a service backlog can develop when more than one tire mechanic may need to use the same balancer.
This situation is particular acute where "match mount" balancing is being performed. During match mount, the tire mechanic uses the balancer to identify the heaviest point on a tire and then seeks to "match" this point with the lightest point on the associated wheel, as a preliminary step in the balancing procedure. To accomplish this, the tire and wheel assembly must be removed from the balancer and taken to the tire changer, where it is broken down so that the tire can be rotated with respect to the wheel. It is then returned to the balancer to confirm the match and complete the balancing process.
In prior art balancers, the balancer cannot be used by a second operator during the interval when the tire and wheel assembly is being remounted, or lost data will result. Even in a non-match mount situation, where a tire mechanic is mounting and balancing four tires from the same car, data re-entry can be a problem. If a second mechanic uses the balancer while the first mechanic is mounting one of the four tires, the second mechanic will have to enter new data identifying the dimensions of the wheel in question, along with the desired balancing mode to be used on the machine. When the first mechanic returns to the balancer, unless the wheels are identically sized, he will have to re-enter his data. Obviously, this can cause delays and presents more opportunity for incorrect data entry.
What is needed, then, is a wheel balancer which can be used concurrently by two or more operators without causing loss of data or requiring one of the operators to re-enter data. This device is presently lacking in the prior art.